Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Episode 6- On Our Own
by Steel Kiba
Summary: In the midst of Halloween fun, Lia leads the others in uncovering the secrets of another Amalei Region mystery. Meanwhile, Scorpina returns to face off with the Power Rangers just as somebody has broken into the Command Center and disabled Alpha, with Zordon nowhere to be found. Who is this mysterious invader, and can he be stopped? Find out in Part I of the Evil Green Chronicles!
1. Warnings

The sun rose on another day, at least for the Amalei Region and other surrounding areas. For Rita Repulsa and her band of evildoers, they always had a glimpse of the sun from their vantage point in the palace on Earth's moon. It illuminated the prize they desired, the island that was once theirs, the world that was once under their command.

Rita stood atop one of her Moon Palace's highest lookout spires, twirling a spiky strand of her ancient white hair. She breathed deeply and smiled, clutching her magic staff tightly as she eyed the planet. She turned her head around and looked into the darkened corridor behind her.

"I believe all of your preparations are complete?" she asked.

"Yes, my queen," a calm, timbering voice responded. "Now is the time for me to take care of Zordon. He will not stand a chance."

"Yes…" Rita said, satisfaction in her voice. She completely turned away from her lookout and went down the hallway, the shrouded figure getting in step with her. "With the old fool forced to meditate to focus his power, he'll be helpless. And the Power Rangers?"

"They stand even less of a chance without him. Your will shall be done, my empress," the male voice answered.

Rita chuckled lightly, striding away from her companion and into the main chamber of the palace. Before the other being could join her, a huge hand grabbed his shoulder. The figure turned to see Goldar's apish face, teeth bared in anger.

"Do not get overconfident, boy," the warrior growled. "Even separated from Zordon, those brats still managed to destroy that stupid monster that took _you _down. You may be in over your head. What are you planning?"

Grimacing, the figure took his green- and white-gloved hand and gripped Goldar's paw hard, removing it from the plated golden shield that covered his shoulders, chest, and upper back.

"Unless you want to have fight you'll be destined to lose," the person spoke. "I suggest you keep your grubby paws off of me." He shoved Goldar a little ways back by his arm, making the beast snarl and get ready to draw his sword.

"I work for Empress Rita, not you," he said, stepping into the main chamber. "So I don't need to explain myself to you. Just stay here and watch the fun." As he finished speaking, the figure materialized into a plume of light green fire and vanished from sight.


	2. Halloween Hijinks

A lazy late-morning breeze danced through the air throughout all of Feron Grove. With the exception of a few clouds and birds taking flight, only sunshine emanated from the sky, illuminating a peaceful, yet already-busy day in one of the island city's parks.

"Bleh!"

Misty let out a momentary shriek as a grotesque, zombified head popped up and shouted from under the table she just approached. As quick as she screamed, she smacked the monster in the back of the head, causing it to tumble to the ground. Instead of crying out in pain, it simply laughed.

"Really, Ash?" the girl said, catching her breath and putting a box of decorations on the wooden park bench. A couple of orange leaves drifted down from the overhanging branches of a nearby tall tree.

Ash took the monster mask off and rubbed his head, slowly getting up. "Oh come on, Misty," he said. "That was a _scream, _wasn't it?"

"Just like you…" Misty whispered, shaking her head and straightening some strands of her fiery hair back. "That mask is so cheesy anyway. It wasn't scary."

"How about this one?" somebody asked. Misty turned to see someone wearing a skeleton mask with large fangs and bloodshot eyes, making her scream and jump back again. The person laughed along with Ash, taking the mask off and revealing Hayashi's smiling face. Misty tried to smack him, but Hayashi backed out of the way.

"Now _that's _an awesome mask," Ash told Hayashi as he went over to help Tracey and a few other guys from Feron Grove High drag up some orange and black lantern lights from a box. Everyone had been working since the early morning to get the park ready for the upcoming Full Moon Monster Mash, a dance party for older kids in the area.

"That wasn't funny," Misty called, scowling at the two.

"Wasn't supposed to be," Vanna, one of her friends from school, said. She recoiled from the masks the boys had put on the table. "Those are too ugly…"

"What are you talking about?" Hayashi asked, setting up a ladder to help the others hang up the lantern lights on a nearby park gazebo. "That was really funny."

At that moment, Lia, Brock, and a few other teens came over from another nearby table, all examining something on a piece of paper except for Lia, who had her face squarely in a book—_Amalei's Hidden Treasures._ She lightly punched her older brother's arm. "Always finding time to laugh, huh bro?" she quipped.

"There's always time for that," Hayashi answered, looking at his sister. "You could stand to do so while you have some free time. How long have you been reading that one again?"

"About forty hours," Lia announced, pointing two boys in different directions as Brock spoke without ever taking her eyes off of the pages. "Underwater, huh? Good thing I planned ahead."

"Okay, Kevin, the breakdancing floor's gonna be in the center…" Brock began, Lia pointing the young man to begin setting things up. "The sound system and the DJ will be right next to the other gazebo over there. Yashid, did the DJ confirm the track listing?"

"Sure did, Brock," Yashid said, pushing his glasses up to his face and checking his notes from that phone call. "We've got swing, rock and roll, country, Halloween-themed tunes, and slow jams."

"Awesome," Brock said, giving Yashid a thumbs-up. "And no matter what music is over there, we are sure to bring in the ladies from everywhere."

"Careful, man," Tracey cut in. He was stringing the lights along the support posts of the all-white gazebo. "Your charm might be too much for them. You won't even need a costume to scare them."

"Hey, whoa, whoa!" Brock protested, going up to his friend. "That's what the old Brock was about, you know, laying on the charm," He ran his hands up his tall, bushy hair. "It's all about being calm and collected now."

"Yeah, like you were with Eliza Peterson," Misty said, shaking her head in disbelief as she went over to hand Hayashi some more decorations.

"Hey, I had a lot of coffee that day. That's why I was so jittery," Brock said.

"Jittery about what?" a voice questioned. Brock turned around to see the demure, ebony face of Eliza Peterson, her eyebrow raised.

"Aw, nothing," Brock answered, shrugging. "Just excited about getting this party started! And I can't wait to get my groove on." Brock began to slide and move about a little, smiling at the girl. "And I can't wait to see you on the dance floor."

Eliza started to laugh and walked past Brock. "I don't know. Your moves just might be too much for all of us to handle," she said.

Brock just stood where he was and stared at her. Misty and Lia giggled.

"Real calm and collected," Lia jabbed at him. Brock waved her off and went over to another section of the park to check things out.

"Yeah. Anyway, Hayashi, you said you'd be showing us a couple swing moves later today?" Misty questioned.

"Sure did," the older Feran sibling said, coming down off the ladder and taking Misty's hand. Quickly twirling, they wrapped around each other, performing the swing dancing maneuver known as The Pretzel. Ash saw this from his side of the park and sighed, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth a little.

Hayashi took at his watch and said, "But…that'll have to wait a little. I have to get going. I have an assignment to finish up, but we'll catch up later?"

"Sure," Misty said, grinning. "See you later," The others waved as well, and Hayashi took off.

"Hey, guys," Lia yelled, pulling Misty aside and tapping Tracey on the shoulder. "I think now's a good time for a lunch break. Let's all meet back here in two hours!"

"Now that sounds like a plan!" Kevin shouted, who was nearby, the other teens nodding approvingly.

The three friends went over and got Brock to join them as well, then went over to Ash, who was stutter-stepping, moving his arms about, and mumbling to himself.

"Let's see. Put your arm behind you, bring her forward into the move…Uh hey guys!" he stammered, snapping out of what he was practicing. Misty coyly smiled a little as he spoke. "What's up?"

"Break time," Tracey said, barely stifling a laugh. "Come on."

"Yeah, we've got to go down by the river and check something out," Lia said with a little urgency in her voice.

"The river? Why?" Ash asked.

Lia tapped the cover of _Amalei's Hidden Treasures _and then her Communicator_. _"If what I've read is anything like last time, it'll be worth it. Besides, I've got a surprise for you there anyway!"


	3. Island Legends

**AUTHOR NOTE: Remember when I said these stories will allude to the Zelda universe? Yeah, here comes the real obvious stuff. I only write this disclaimer as a precaution given that crossover stories only feature two selection boxes for franchises, so I don't want to have this story removed because I missed a citation or something, otherwise I'd leave it out. Thanks!**

It didn't take the five friends long to get to the river, its proper name being Ko River, as it was only a fifteen-minute walk from the park. After a momentary trek through a dirt path arced by several lush trees, they happened upon a picturesque landscape of a grassy riverbank dotted with flowers of several colors that gently sloped down into the river itself; some folks sat near the edge of the river either fishing or picnicking. The water itself looked as blue as the sky it reflected, the liquid surface only disturbed by its own small, wavy movement.

"Wow! This place is beautiful!" Brock remarked as they walked along, taking one of the fronds of the plants in his hand."

"You can say that again," Misty said. "I'd love to get a float and just see where the river takes me."

Lia chuckled a little and hitched up her magenta running jacket. "We hear that a lot from people who've never been to Ko River before. People do just go out there and go with the flow; some of them end up on the outskirts of the city and to Kau Cove."

"Ha. Sounds like a good idea," Ash sighed, breathing in the fresh air.

"Yeah," Lia said as they came up to a table near a little dock, opening and putting _Amalei's Hidden Treasures _on it. "But we have a little work to do."

Tracey looked over at the current pages, his eyes growing wide. "'Magic and Music?' The instruments are here?"

"That's what the chapter is called, isn't it?" Ash jested. Tracey raised an eyebrow and flipped the red bill of Ash's cap over his eyes.

"According to the legend, they're in this region," Lia replied, smiling at them. As she flipped through the pages that showcased drawings of ancient-looking flutes and rays of golden light to Ash, Misty, and Brock, who were obviously unfamiliar with what she and Tracey were talking about.

The girl shook her head. "You guys seem confused." The other three shrugged. Lia flipped the pages back to a previous chapter and continued. "Then you should take a look at this."

**The Great Legend**

**The world as we know it was a much different place, alive with people and beings of a fantastic origin. Magic existed. Power existed. And life existed that cherished that power and magic, used those forces, coveted those forces, and abused those forces.**

**Many tales tell of three legendary figures that fought to claim, use, and keep an ultimate golden power safe that can grant the wishes of whoever possesses it: a hero, a maiden, and an evil sorcerer. For centuries, they and their descendents stopped at nothing in the struggle for the golden power and the universe. All experienced victory and defeat and peace and turmoil. Until the darkest time…**

**An even greater magical evil arrived to lay waste to all of humanity in the sacred lands, all of the fantastical creatures were either destroyed or spread to unknown places in the world, and the evil warlock that had terrorized the world for millennia had been cast away, his power sapped by the invading sorceress, reduced to nothing and killed. But as for the other two figures, they could not be found.**

**Though the sorceress and her court of minions had caused so much strife, a good wizard emerged with a plan to rid Earth of her evil. He had found the two children of destiny and with their help, harnessed their link to the golden power to seal her and the monsters away, casting them out of the world. But this came at a price. The wizard was sealed away, and the treasure was lost yet again. What became of him, the great power, and the children of destiny is unclear.**

"No…way…" Misty gasped as she read the story, realizing who it was talking about.

"Rita and Zordon? Really?" Ash uttered, wiping his eyes to make sure he wasn't just seeing things.

"You think you don't believe it?" Lia asked, Tracey nodding in agreement. "This legend is a staple of the islands around here and I just now got it when I checked this book out again." She shook her head. "Should've picked up on it last time."

"Well, then Zordon has to know where the treasure is!" Brock exclaimed, jumping out of his seat and nearly out of his athletic shorts. "It has to be enough to get rid of Rita once and for all!"

Tracey put his hand on Brock's shoulder. "We can call him later."

"Yes," Misty urged." "He said he would be taking some time to meditate today, remember? This isn't an emergency."

"Check this out," Tracey interjected excitedly, flipping back to the "Magic and Music" chapter. "It must be connected!" He pointed to one of the flutes that sat opposite a drawing of a powder-blue ocarina. This flute looked like an average recorder, but an image of a three-toed claw in the center of a circle sat behind it.

"Of all of the musical artifacts, this flute has a most dubious rumored past," Lia read. "Tales talk of a warrior being able to summon a gargantuan beast from the depths of the ocean capable of laying waste to entire cities. However, this creature also has the potential to be one of life's greatest protectors if it is awakened by those with noble hearts. But this powerful object has been lost in the tides of time, perhaps hidden in the world's oceans, lakes, or rivers."

"That image…" Brock pondered. "It looks just like our Power Coins…"

"Mhm," Lia agreed. "So we should try and find the flute. With everything that's been going on around here, I wouldn't be surprised if it were close by."

"Then that's what we'll do," Ash said, turning his cap back. He turned his head to look at the little wooden rowboat that sat right next to the dock. "But I think a first look will take a little more than the time we have…"

"Not really," Lia said, reaching into her backpack and withdrawing four red and white spheres. "We could use some help, and I told you guys I had a surprise for you!" She tossed the Pokeballs into the air, which opened and revealed four old friends.

"Squirtle!" Ash exclaimed as the tiny blue turtle leapt in the air and gave his trainer a big hug. "I can't believe it!"

"Starmie!" Misty shouted, running up to the huge purple starfish and taking it in her arms. "I haven't seen you in so long!"

"This is so cool!" Brock said as his Marshtomp jumped onto his shoulders and croaked happily.

"Morphinominal, Lia. Thank you." Tracey added as he ran his hand over his Azumarill's large, bunny-like ears.

"You bet," Lia said, going over to pet the creature as well. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's set sail!"

Behind the mass of trees on the other side of the Ko River, a pair of eyes watched the happy reunion; several pairs of red eyes in fact. As the teens and their Pokémon prepared to take off, the gaggle of Putty Patrollers mumbled to each other in their alien garble, eager to attack anyone in sight.

"Hold on…" a lilting feminine voice cut in. The group of gray goons turned to see a slender figure standing behind them, tightening a spiny golden fist.

"Wait for them to set off," Scorpina ordered, licking her blood-red lips. "These sailors deserve a watery grave."


	4. Home Invasion

The sun hung directly the desert, filling every living thing out in the sand with its life-giving light, but also drying out everything out of water's reach. Only one thing gleamed as bright as the star overhead, and that was the armor of the lone person that stood outside the Power Rangers' hidden Command Center. Rays bounced off of his brilliant green helmet, the small diamond-shaped ruby atop the fanned crest that sat above the visor and between the helmet's sharp black eyes, and his golden shield embossed with ornate black markings that covered his chest and shoulders, a huge diamond-shape protecting his front.

As this figure walked toward the fortress, he let out a low chuckle and reached toward his Power Morpher, running his finger over the Power Coin. What could that old fool have been thinking? The coins were an enormous source of traceable power, yet they allowed those who held them to enter the Command Center undetected.

The person in green kept going on, scaling the mountain path with no trouble, and leisurely walking into the huge open space that was the temple's front door. As he made his way inside, he took little note of the brilliant blended colors that surrounded the front walls or the black spacescape dotted with stars behind him. All that mattered were the computer and the two guardians of the Command Center. The figure turned his head to the left, seeing that strange red robot with the gold saucer-like head with tubes running from his back to the computer. The stupid thing was probably recharging itself. He then turned to face the center of the chamber and the three columns positioned directly in front of him. The two golden columns shone with rings of light, but Zordon's time-warp prison was empty.

"No matter," the person said under his breath, walking over to the computer terminal where Alpha 5 was connected. With one swift stroke, he smashed the console with his fist, causing a flare-up of sparks and electricity. Alpha shrieked and began to convulse as bolts shot through his metallic body. The green one deftly lifted his boot and kicked the robotic assistant to the floor.

"Looks like there was a bad connection, tinhead," he said with a venomous voice.

Suddenly, the figure found himself frozen in place, bound by white bolts of energy around his arms and legs. In the same instant, the face of Zordon came into view in the aquamarine tube, opening his eyes from a deep meditation.

"It is as I have feared, Green Ranger," the good wizard said calmly. "Fortunately, you will not proceed any further."

"Ha. This coming from someone who couldn't save his little bucket of bolts?" the Green Ranger quipped, standing still in his restraints. Alpha was still trembling on the ground.

"He will survive, but Rita's plans for you will not," Zordon said back. "Hayashi, you must listen to me. This is not your doing. Rita has you in her trance. The power you wield is only meant to protect life, not destroy it as she wishes.

"Are you done, old man?" Hayashi asked, tightening his fists. "We both know your shackles can't hold me back much longer. And your lies mean nothing! I _will _complete the mission my queen has charged me with, and this world _will _belong to her once again. Not even your precious Power Rangers can stop her."

Zordon closed his eyes again, frowning at this development. "Then I have no choice," he announced. "I must separate you from the Dragon Coin before Rita's magic can permanently corrupt you."

As the sage finished speaking, white lighting flew from the surrounding energy columns and toward the Green Ranger. However, just before it could strike him, Hayashi laughed and materialized into sickly green flames, escaping his bondage. He quickly reappeared near a couple of the purple computer panels and began destroying them, smashing in buttons and ripping into wires, causing Zordon's energy bolts to fade and his face to become distorted, crackling with the same energy.

"Hayashi, you must stop!" Zordon protested. "You can control the power! The Power Rangers and I can help you!"

The Green Ranger paid no attention to his victim's pleas, levying a high axe kick to another terminal, busting it wide open. He suddenly felt a hand tug at his ankle. Rita's charge turned to see Alpha weakly trying to pull him away from his rampage, but he simply kicked the wounded machine square in his red visor, sending him back.

"Power Rangers! You must hear…" Zordon tried to say. But it was too late. Too many panels were smashed. The communications system was no longer working, and Zordon's face faded from view, only a few sparks and lines of electricity remaining in his tube.

"Say bye bye to your mentor, robot," Green Ranger taunted. Alpha could do nothing, eventually letting out a low whir and going silent. Hayashi didn't take time to admire his handiwork, passing by the small flames, hanging panels, and demolished wires and going straight to Zordon's energy tube. Letting out a war cry, he reared his fist back and sent it straight toward the tube, but it didn't shatter as he intended.

Hayashi grimaced behind his helmet and rubbed his hand. "I guess you have some fight left in you," he said, turning to leave the way he came. "Oh well. The least I can give your pathetic warriors is hope that you'll come back…if they survive."


	5. Watery Weirdos

"Hold on!"

Chilly water flew up and doused everyone's hair as Squirtle and Starmie raced down the Ko River, their human companions holding on to their backs.

"This is amazing!" Lia cried, holding on to Starmie's left side. "You've trained Starmie really well if it's this strong."

Misty, who was on her Pokémon's right, grinned. "Starmie's one of my oldest friends," she explained. "I've trained with her ever since I was a little girl, so she's ultra tough."

"I hear that," Ash said happily, who held on to Squirtle's orange shell with his left hand and splashed the cool liquid over his head with his right. "I've been away from Squirtle for so long I forgot how he can even lift me!" His tiny turtle laughed as it kept going.

As the three took off down the clear river, Tracey and Brock walked together to the grassy high point of the locale's riverbank, Azumarill and Marshtomp swimming behind the others. Tracey put a pair of binoculars to his eyes and surveyed the scene downriver. The waterway and rivebank sloped down into a U-shaped basin with two outlets at the left and right, the former going all the way to Kau Cove—a seaside town south of Feron Grove—and the latter going further into the woods.

"With the time we have left," Tracey said, checking his watch and then the right outlet. "We've only got time to check out where the right side leads. It's shouldn't be too far into the woods."

"Right, but we should be able to quickly notice if there's anything there," Brock added. "If this flute is anything like the Dino Crystals, our Power Coins should react. And the sooner we find it, the sooner we can squash Rita…" he paused to move his shoulders back and forth rhythmically. "Which means the sooner we can get our groove on."

"Still got Eliza on the brain?" Tracey asked, chuckling and taking his sandals off, getting ready to dive in the water with his Azumarill. "Man, if you were any different, you'd be frightening."

Brock playfully tapped Tracey's shoulder as he took to the water; Azumarill and Marshtomp had since come up to the riverside. "Still with the Halloween jokes? What would be frightening is if that Communicator electrocuted you when you're in there."

"Don't worry! These are waterproof!" Tracey called as he latched on to his water rabbit and took off downstream.

Marshtomp smiled wide at its trainer, who kicked off his tennis shoes and proceeded to walk down to the riverbank to check on his friends. Before the water Pokémon could join him, it saw something out of the corner of its eye—a gray alien-looking figure quietly scuttling up behind Brock. One of the thing's arms was fashioned into a rocky blade, hoisted back and ready to run the human through.

Letting out a loud croak, Marshtomp ambled over to the being and tackled it to the ground, making it roll near Brock's feet.

"Huh?" the tall boy uttered, looking at the fallen Putty at his feet. "Guys, we've got company!"

The busy teenagers instantly turned their attention to the upper part of the shore, where several Putties were charging the Ko River and the other civilians on dry land.

"Oh no…" Misty said. "Starmie, use Swift Attack!"

The huge purple starfish leapt out of the water and summoned five bright, star-shaped projectiles from its center gem, hurling them at the goons menacing the innocents. Swift stunned them momentarily, giving the people a chance to run.

Lia let go of Starmie and swam to the basin's shoreline. She bolted up the sloping riverbank to join Brock, who was facing off with three Putties at once. He had taken down one with a stiff side kick and a running high knee, but one of the others had caught him from behind and let its partner backhanded him across the temple. As Brock doubled over, Lia side-rolled over his back and started assailing one of the foot soldiers with three types of elbow strikes: rising, reverse, and falling. As the young woman turned, another Putty launched a flying kick at her shoulder blades, sending her right into Brock, who just got his arms up to keep her from falling.

"You okay?" Brock asked, rubbing the side of his head.

"Yeah, thanks," Lia answered, taking his right hand. "But I think we should work hand-in-hand."

Brock nodded, and the two rose to their feet, clasping their hands and turning to fling each other at two advancing Putties, halting them with kicks. Brock took his free hand and gripped one by the arm and, rotating with Lia, tossed it into its comrade.

"Nice moves, partner," Lia said.

Brock clapped her shoulder and turned to see Tracey ducking blows from Rita's minions, backing up to one of the towering trees and narrowly dodging a swipe from a Putty's blade arm, one that cut it clean in half. Tracey nimbly pushed himself up to two of them, punching one in the sternum and another in its rough-hewn face, but two more kicked the boy right in the gut, picked him up, and tossed him back into the river.

"Marshtomp! Mud Slap!" Brock commanded. His Pokémon readily obliged, digging into the wet earth near the Ko River and blinding a few Putties with torrents of mud. A few of them jumped into the river, half to try and wash their crimson eyes and half to continue their assault, but Tracey and his Azumarill were ready. Holding onto the water rabbit, the trainer knifehand chopped one near the neck, sending it below the water. While Azumarill sprayed a few Putties with its powerful Water Gun, Tracey took off his headband and put it around the head of another nearby goon as they kept cruising downstream. He pulled the sopping-wet piece of cloth far back and let go, smacking the Putty square in the eyes and all the way into the drink.

"Great job, Azumarill," Tracey congratulated, seeing that the Pokémon's targets were either collapsing or fleeing. Azumarill made a happy exhalation, and they went to join the others.

Misty and Ash had since went upstream to the right side of the Ko River, where Putties had swam in order to menace more people.

"Alright, Hydro Pump!" Ash shouted. Squirtle immediately retracted its head, arms, and legs into its hard shell, soon releasing powerful acquatic blasts that propelled it and Ash above the river and onto the shore, dousing some Putties and pushing them back into the river. Starmie spun in the air and went into the water, mowing over them. The young human duo squared off with four other Putty Patrollers, Misty cartwheeling around one and tossing two punches and a spinning backfist at another. Ash performed the same maneuver, except he disabled one opponent with a spinning hook kick and floored it with a jump side kick. After finishing that foe, Ash quickly raised his left arm to block an axe kick from another Putty, but the thing jumped up quickly and struck Ash down with a blow from his boulder fist. Fallen, and in danger of being crushed by another falling boulder, Misty picked him up by the arm and executed an underarm turn, sending Ash to clothesline another Putty.

"I'm sure you know that move," Misty said, flashing a good-natured smirk.

Ash returned the look and twisted Misty around, dipping her with the swing move known as the Manhattan. Misty kicked up one of her feet to meet the face of the Putty that tried to murder her friend, knocking him out.

"Yeah, but this is the only other one I've got down," Ash said, chuckling along with the girl.

As the two surveyed the landscape, they saw their friends and Pokémon finally dispatching the rest of the gray clods. With a flash of gray light, the Putty Patrol disappeared in defeat.

Starmie and Squirtle came up to the shore, eagerly coming up to embrace their partners. But before anyone could say any words of congratulations, a sharp, bright flash shot across the Ko River and smashed into Starmie's red center gem, shattering it. The flash boomeranged back across the water, toppling Azumarill, leaving a huge bloody gash across its side. Before the teenagers could continue screaming in horror or tend to their creature companions, they saw the glowing object fly to the hand of someone behind the trees; it was a familiar angular sword, locked in Scorpina's claws.

"No more outside help," the lady warrior said, her teeth bared in a menacing grin.


	6. Scorpina's Ultimatum

"No!" Misty cried, tears instantly escaping her eyes. She gathered her battered Starmie in her arms and stepped back from the riverbank, away from the shards of her companion's shattered ruby and the danger on the other side of the water.

"Squirtle, return," Ash said in a hushed voice, drawing his Pokéball and using its beam to bring his friend into the protective capsule, who was writhing in pain from the sparks that flew from Scorpina's blade. Misty did the same with Starmie.

"We need to get them out of here and to a Pokémon Center," Misty muttered, wiping her eyes and balling up her hand. "Starmie and Azumarill can't fully heal without help."

Meanwhile, the scorpion villainess stepped past the trees, running her fingers up her boomerang-shaped blade as the other teens stood shocked.

"Bubble Beam now!" Brock yelled as his Marshtomp, backing Lia and Tracey up as the two wrapped Lia's jacket around Azumarill's wound, Tracey using his Pokéball to bring his animal to safety for the time being. The frog-like being inhaled and released a wall of watery spheres at Scorpina. The warrior walked straight through the barrage of bubbles and came up close to Marshtomp.

"Agility…" the Pewter City native began to command, but it was too late. Scorpina already lifted Marshtomp up by its neck, clenching her claws tightly. Roaring, the creature's trainer bolted toward the two and wrenched Scorpina's arm away from his Pokémon. He had just enough time to recall Marshtomp into its ball before Scorpina clawed him across the shoulder, sending him to the ground.

"How dare you?!" Tracey growled, pulling Brock back closer to the river, getting him to his feet.

"Is that a real question?" Scorpina retorted, pointing her sword toward the group. She ran her hand up the weapon's topmost point, causing it to shine again. "How dare I? Maybe this answer will satisfy you!" She whipped her sword back and flung it toward the five, who darted off of the land and into the depths of the Ko River. As the weapon hovered over the water, ready to strike whoever surfaced first, the clear liquid suddenly glittered with a rainbow of light, and out soared the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, side by side and with Blade Blasters in hand.

As all five Rangers were about to descend where Scorpina stood, they swung their sidearms horizontally, casting razor-thin beams from the blades that formed one large slash that hit Scorpina and sent her flying into the trees.

"You've had it, Scorpina!" Red Ranger Ash shouted at the prone warrior. "Tower Formation!" He, Blue Ranger Tracey, and Black Ranger Brock stood together while Yellow Ranger Misty and Pink Ranger Lia flipped onto their shoulders. But before they could bring their Blade Blasters together to create a final blast, Scorpina's blade had caught up with them and surrounded all of them with sizzling sparks and energy, setting off sparks from their protective suits and toppling the tower.

Scorpina recovered her weapon and laughed. "Let's stop this now," she said. "You're obviously no match for Rita Repulsa."

Yellow Ranger held her head and ran her hand over one of the saber-toothed tiger fangs that surrounded her visor. "Don't get cocky, you overgrown bug!" she challenged. "We've beaten creeps like you before!" Snarling, she and the Black Ranger flipped to either side of the enemy, the Pink and Blue Rangers coming in through the front. She blocked their hand-to-hand attacks and countered swiftly with strikes from her sword, but the Power Rangers were so charged with anger and adrenaline that they leapt back at their foe, pummeling her arms and stomach with kicks and punches. Ash tried to come in with a tornado kick to her head, but the lady warrior chuckled and jumped back further into the trees.

"That's the last time I give you free shots. You clearly don't make the most of them!" Scorpina catcalled, backing away from the group as they prepared to attack again; she still kept a pleased look on her face. "I wanted to send you all to a watery grave, but I'll make you a deal. I will give you one hour to surrender to me and pledge your allegiance to Queen Rita. Your miserable pets and this island will be spared as it once again becomes our earthly home. If you refuse, you will all suffer humiliation and a fate worse than death."

"Then do your best to destroy us now…" Tracey said, his voice rasping furiously. "You won't get away with this…"

"Your other monsters have tried to threaten us and we've never given up!" Lia fired at her. "No one in Feron Grove will ever bow to Rita!"

Scorpina laughed yet again and thrust her arms up to the sky. "That's not a very wise choice, children!" she replied. "I suggest you ask Zordon for some advice. I'll see you in one hour!" And with those words, she vanished in a sickly orange glow of energy.

The heroes stood astonished. Brock went next to a tree and levied a fist at the thick trunk. "She's gonna pay for hurting our Pokémon!" he nearly screamed. "Why'd we let her get away?"

"It's okay, man," Ash assured him, gripping his oldest best friend's arm. "We'll be able to find Scorpina and stop whatever she's planning." He raised his left arm up to his face, pressing the button on his Communicator underneath his glove. "Zordon, this is Red Ranger. Come in." There was nothing but an error tone and static. "Zordon, Alpha, come in!"

"Something's wrong," Tracey reported, trying his Communicator as well, but to no avail. "Scorpina must have jammed our signals."

Suddenly, the high-pitched, six-beat tone blared from Misty's Wrist Communicator. "This is Yellow Ranger. We read you," she announced.

Again, static played, but a distorted, squeaky voice started to come through. "Power Rangers…help…help Power Rangers…" it said.

"Alpha?" Misty said. "Alpha, is that you?" Then the tone went dead again.

"He obviously in distress," Lia added. "Alpha, we're coming!"

The Power Rangers cupped their hands around their Power Morphers and prepared to teleport, but nothing happened. An error message appeared on their HUDs that read, "TELEPORTATION LINK DISABLED."

"Okay, this is really bad," Brock huffed out, bringing his palms together to form another solution. "Dino Crystal!" A glimmer of violet energy started to form as he drew his hands out, but it quickly fizzled. "Huh? My crystal isn't forming!"

The other Rangers tried to summon their Dino Crystals, but the transformation didn't work for them either.

"We've got to get to the Command Center now!" Pink Ranger cried.

"But we've got to get our Pokemon some medical attention!" Yellow Ranger protested. "Where's the Center you retrieved them from again?"

"Too far," Lia answered. "I got them for you from Professor Oak via a PC when I was in Riko with my mom a couple days ago. We can't go there and to the Command Center in under an hour without the Dinozords."

"And that would draw too much attention," Blue Ranger posed, snapping his fingers. "But I remember there being an emergency Pokémon transfer computer at the hospital where we tried fought Goldar a while back. We can make it there and tell them we found the Pokémon hurt in the ambush, and that's true."

"Then let's go," Ash said. "We've got a long run ahead of us."


	7. Mounting Danger

Everything had been calm in city of Feron Grove, until various people had come running in from the riverside. Some were screaming, others retreating to indoor safety, and all of them were afraid.

"Calm down, calm down!" a burly police officer urged as four folks bounded into a nearby diner, out of breath and muscles strained. "What's going on?"

"Those Putty Patroller things were just at the river," one man said, cradling his tearful little boy. "There were so many of them, I don't know who got hurt by them or not or if they're still out there"

"I know I did," another said, holding his side. "Darn things almost trampled me!"

"You've…you've gotta stop them…" the little boy cried, his body sore and blonde hair tinged with dirt after he tumbled trying to escape the aliens, his uncle only saving him just in time.

"We'll put out an alert for my men and citizens to be on watch," the officer said, putting a hand on the child's shoulder. "We'll be sure to set up blockades as well."

"Yeah, like those really work against those weirdos, Hanson," someone in a booth by the window called out as the officer got his radio and alerted his subordinates about the danger. "And those bullets of yours don't really do a thing to 'em."

"Thanks for your confidence, Kerry," Hanson shot back, furrowing his brow. "We've got this, and if anything, the Power Rangers will probably be here too."

"Yeah? When?"

"Be patient! It's not like I can call them to come running whenever I feel like it!"

The argument got cut short as Hanson, Kerry, and everyone else in the eatery saw five people in colorful jumpsuits racing past the diner and further north. Nobody had anything to say after that.

Minutes later, the Power Rangers cut through the Feron Grove Hospital courtyard and raced through the automatic double doors. Everybody in the lobby gasped as they saw the group that had saved their city time and again up close and personal.

"The Power Rangers! No way!"

"What are they doing here?!"

"Alright, hold up!" a physician yelled, stepping out from the hallway and facing the Rangers. "Are you here to see someone? We've gotten a few people here who were supposedly injured by Putties at Ko River."

"I'm afraid that's true," Ash said. "They're gone for now, but they'll be back in the city in less than an hour with one of their leaders. I would keep these people inside for now."

The doctor nodded in agreement as Misty cut in, holding out the four Pokéballs. "There were some kids with their Pokémon at the river, and they were really hurt by Scorpina, the warrior we encountered, but they'll likely make it."

"Affirmative," Tracey added as the doctor took the capsules. "We got the kids away from the scene and promised we'd get their Pokémon to immediate care. You have to get them to a Pokémon Center right away; their trainers will be here when it's safe."

The doctor grimaced and nodded again."You've got it," he said, going to a boxy green machine with an open tray that sat near a row of computer terminals. He put the four balls in slots and pressed a button, and with a flash of light, they were on their way to a center off the island.

The Power Rangers turned to run back out, the hospital patrons cheering them on their way.

Several more minutes passed as the Rangers, fueled with superhuman speed, darted through the city streets, now emptier of townspeople and fuller of emergency officials making preparations. The police officers and EMS team members barely had time to register what they had seen before the five were out of sight. In due time, the group was past the last few buildings on the Feron Grove outskirts and were approaching the desert. As they crossed from civilization into the sandy wilderness, Lia looked back just for a second and saw that nobody and nothing was following them. One would think gutsy TV crews and helicopters would be trying to find out everything they could about the mysterious Power Rangers, but it seemed that fearful readiness, and some respect for privacy, all but deterred that.

"Scanner says three miles and counting," Brock announced, checking a distance counter on his HUD.

"Great," Misty said, doing her best to balance out her breathing. "I just everything isn't as bad as I think it is." The others silently agreed.

Finally, their temple of good atop a craggy edifice was in sight. The Power Rangers scaled the rocks with no trouble at all, blasting through the entryway and immediately stopping in their tracks.

"Oh no…" Lia gasped.

"What? How?" Tracey uttered.

The Command Center was a dim, absolute wreck. Nearly all of the computer panels were smashed in, wires torn out like a wounded animal's intestines. Little pockets of fire danced in the wreckage, providing some of the only light in the building. The glowing cylinders and towering columns were either flickering or completely dark, and the main one—Zordon's energy tube—only produced static.

"Where's Zordon? Zordon!" Ash called out, pacing around the center chamber. All five teens removed their helmets and set them on the violet top of the computer ring. "Zordon!"

"There's no way to check where he is," Tracey said, checking one of the only intact computer interfaces. He pressed the buttons, but nothing happened. "The whole computer is destroyed."

Brock looked at one of the flickering screens on one of the panels that detailed the status of their connection to the Morphing Grid. "Summon Link Damaged, Communication Link Disabled, Teleportation Link Disabled…no wonder we couldn't get our crystals…"

Misty stepped behind the computer terminals to the left side of the room, where she nearly screamed. "Oh my…Alpha!"

She reached down to pick up their robotic friend, who was whirring and still sparking from his assault. Words barely came out of his audio output. "Power Rangers…help…"

On the verge of tears, the Yellow Ranger shouted, "Guys, how can we help him?"

Blue Ranger, who had been checking the statuses with Brock, pressed a blinking button on a command console, which summoned a crackle of electricity that produced an optical disk in his hand.

"Here!" he said. "This will boot him back up!"

Misty seized the disk and put it into a slot on Alpha's back. In a couple of moments, the sparking stopped and his red visor and chest lightning bolt shined brightly, his voice becoming clear and chipper. "Power Rangers! You're here!"

"You're okay!" Pink Ranger said as she came over with the rest of the group and gave the automaton a big hug.

"Thank goodness Tracey was able to get your backup disk," Red Ranger added, nodding at his teammate. "What happened here? Who hurt you?"

"Yeah, and where's Zordon?" Black Ranger added. "Whoever came in here totally wrecked hi s link to this place! Even the scanners we have can't register a reading!"

"I…I don't know," Alpha said. "My memory banks are scrambled. The last thing I remember is being short-circuited during my recharge."

"Well, aren't there any cameras or scanners that might tell us what happened?" Ash pondered.

"Yes," Alpha said, going up to the computers. "But most of our programs are disabled, as you've already discovered."

Misty wiped her eyes for a second time that day. "When I get my hands on Scorpina, she's gonna pay for this! We need to find her _now!_"

"But how do we know it's her?" Lia asked. "Nobody gets in here undetected without a Power Coin. Zordon and Alpha would have seen her coming a mile away."

"Well who else could have done it?!" her female friend yelled. "She was making those cracks about asking Zordon for advice earlier!"

"I agree," Brock said. "We're going at her now, wherever she is."

"Power Rangers," Alpha interrupted. "Please calm down. I understand your emotions are extremely high, but we must proceed with caution. If you go into battle with a cloudy mind, you will certainly be defeated."

Ash, who was gritting his teeth the entire time, took in a breath, picked up his helmet, and said, "Alpha's right. If we fight without controlling our anger, we won't be able to lift a weapon, much less beat Scorpina."

"But what do we have left?" Tracey questioned, walking over to a very busy Alpha.

"According to a basic reading," Alpha began. "Your Zords are still at nominal power and are safely in their hiding places. Your Power Weapons are also available, but I am not sure how long that link will hold until I can repair the computer."

Suddenly, a throaty, feminine cackle cut through the Command Center—a very familiar one. Everyone turned to see the still-intact Viewing Globe, which featured Scorpina stepping out from the trees surrounding the Ko River.

"There she is," Lia said.

"Twenty minutes early, in fact," Misty added, cracking her knuckles. "She must think we're still going to fumble around while she tears up the city."

Alpha pressed another console button that apparently brought something whirring to life. "But you can head her off now," he squeaked. "The teleportation link is now back online, but it only has the energy for one trip to Feron Grove right now. You go and take on Scorpina while I try to relocate Zordon."

"Thank you, Alpha," Ash said, putting his helmet back on with the rest of the team. "Be careful."

_All too easy._

Scorpina just could not keep that elated look off of her face as she moved into the daylight. Her gilded armor reflected the rays above, but her personality was anything but sunny. She felt like having a nice stroll to the big park in the city, where even more fun could begin.

"Freeze!"

The malevolent maiden turned to see a few cop cars crowding the street that cut across the path to the Ko River and the rest of the city, the officers with their guns at the ready. Scorpina chuckled raised her arms and dropped her sword, taunting the men and women in front of her. But before they could fire a single shot, the police force opened their mouths in awe as they looked up to the sky.

Scorpina did the same as the officers that cornered her, seeing five bright streaks of light materialize into the Power Rangers.

Misty went to strike first, kicking Scorpina's blade away and diving at the villainess with her Tiger Daggers. She caught Scorpina by the arm, slashing her and flipping her to the side, the evil one easily landing on her feet. However, Tracey was there to intercept her, darting his Tricera Lance at her sternum. Scorpina blocked the shot and gripped the trident herself, trying to fling the Blue Ranger away. As the two struggled, Lia was ready, jumping off of Tracey's shoulders and scoring a bullseye with her Ptera Bow, knocking Scorpina back.

"Get further into the city!" Ash shouted to the first responders, drawing his Tyranno Sword. "We'll quarantine her here!"

The police officers concurred with the Red Ranger and piled into their cars. They knew bigger vehicles would likely be coming to help protect Feron Grove very shortly, and they'd need lots of room. As the officers departed, Brock clashed with Scorpina, who had recovered her boomerang sword and was trying to decimate the Black Ranger and his Mammoth Axe. She slashed him across the chest, flipping him to the grass, and prepared to put the blade through his neck, when Brock swiftly moved a part of his axe's handle down and pointed the end with the red circular opening at her, firing electric bolts at her.

Scorpina shrieked as electricity overtook her body and forced her to her knees, the Rangers taking time to regroup in front of her. Even though surging pain flowed through her, Scorpina still didn't fall completely to the ground.

"I have to admit, you are skilled," she rasped, rising to her feet. "But your weapons won't be enough to stop me!"

"Wanna bet?" Lia challenged. "You're going to pay for what you did to Zordon and Alpha!"

Scorpina laughed once again. "Me? You shouldn't be thanking me."

The Power Rangers didn't want to hear anymore of her vile talk, clustering together and getting ready to combine their arsenal.

"Jurassic Can…" they began, when something else cut into their battle cry.

"That won't be necessary," a voice interjected. The Rangers halted their plan of attack, lowering their arms and looking toward the trees dancing in the breeze along with Scorpina. Footfalls against grass rustled and sounded ever so loud in the strange silence. Somebody was coming, and the group was in shock.

It was another Power Ranger.

However, this one looked very different from the other five. Though his suit was radiant green, he was girded with golden cuffs around his arms and legs, a large golden chest shield/shoulder pad combination draped over his frame tightly; the pattern for his gloves and boots was there, the diamonds replaced by spikes piercing the white coloring. His helmet looked identical to Ash's, sharp teeth bared around the visor like the Tyrannosaurus helmet, except this one had a fanned crest at the top adorned by a ruby.

"Who the…" Brock muttered.

"There's another Power Ranger?" Misty breathed.

"A stroke of luck if I ever saw one," Tracey quickly mused.

"I don't know," Ash said, putting a hand to his chin. "It may be some guy dressing for Halloween."

"You're all wrong," the Green Ranger spoke, his deep voice disturbing the air and their ears. He turned to Scorpina and nodded, the demoness disappearing from sight. "I am the one who's going to destroy you all."


	8. Numbers Mean Nothing

There was barely any time to react. With lightning speed, the Green Ranger darted toward the other Power Rangers, striking the Red Ranger with a huge front push kick, knocking him through the air and to the street. The other four heroes tried to hold the attacker down, but he repulsed them with ease. He grabbed the Blue Ranger by the neck and flung him to the ground near the trees. The Yellow and Black Rangers attempted to strike the Green Ranger repeatedly with various spinning kicks and punches, but Rita's rouge Ranger easily deflected the blows and dodged the kicks, tripping both of them with one sweep and kicking both of them in the small of the back.

Her blood reaching a boiling point, Misty screamed and went to thrust one of her Tiger Daggers through the enemy's chest. Green Ranger just stood where he was and shook his head, the dagger bouncing off of his gilded armor. He took the Yellow Ranger by the arm and hoisted her up, prying the weapon from her hand and stabbing her in the side, causing sparks to fly from her protective suit.

Brock grimaced and readied his Mammoth Axe to fire another electrical charge. But before he could fire, his assailant whipped the Tiger Dagger at the axe, knocking it from his hands. Green Ranger sped toward Black Ranger and picked him up under his arms, wrestling with him.

"Funny," the evil Ranger spoke, pushing Brock back despite Brock's best efforts to subdue him. "I thought you'd be stronger." And with that, he gripped his prey in a headlock and slammed his face in the ground.

"Stop!" Lia shouted, shooting a barrage of lasers from her Blade Blaster and following up with arrows from her bow, but the Green Ranger either sidestepped the blows or absorbed them with his shield. The younger Feran sibling called upon the power of the Morphing Grid to send her Ptera Bow back and holstered her laser gun, situating herself in a fighting stance, Green Ranger mirroring her.

"What is your problem?!" Pink Ranger demanded, staying rooted and gauging her opponent. "You're supposed to be on our side!"

"I don't fight for losers," Green Ranger taunted, tightening his fist and finally making a move, attempting a ridgehand strike. Lia parried and flipped to the side, launching a side snap kick at him, but missed. Green Ranger countered with a leaping spin crescent kick that Lia barely ducked, coming in and striking his ribs with reverse elbows. Growling, Green Ranger went to levy an axe kick on top of her head, but Lia shifted back, Green Ranger's foot grazing the two aquamarine dots on Lia's helmet that resembled pterodactyl eyes.

"I fight for my conqueror, my empress!" he cried, shifting up to meet Pink Ranger and taking her down in an armbar trap. His captive did her best to escape, rolling and trying to trap Green Ranger in a head scissors, but the hold was locked tight.

Just as it seemed that the villain would break the heroine's arm, a torrent of blue beams struck Green Ranger about his head and legs. He released Lia from his grip to see Tracey hurtling right toward him. As Green Ranger rose, the Blue Ranger threw a high roundhouse kick at him, but he gripped his leg and tossed him over his head. He then went to curb stomp the intruder, but Tracey held his legs tightly around the Green Ranger's, stopping his progress.

"What a plan," he said, chuckling to himself. Shifting his weight, he escaped the Blue Ranger's hold and jumped far to the side just as Ash swiftly came onto the scene, bellowing and swinging his Tyranno Sword downward.

"Come on! You want to fight? Take me on!" Red Ranger yelled, raising his blade as his fellow Power Rangers regrouped with him.

"Still so much to learn, right Red?" the Green Ranger quipped. In one fluid motion, he whipped his hands to his side, summoning a black ball of energy crackling with green lightning and casting it at the five, resulting in screams and erupting flames. As the Power Rangers writhed in pain, the Green Ranger prepared another ball of destruction and tossed it straight at them. As the final strike came toward them, Ash quickly brought his hands together and drew them out in desperation. Thankfully, his Dino Crystal made it to him and just before the impact, he struck the ground with a heavy fist, splitting the surface and calling forth a wall of volcanic steam that caused the energy ball to dissipate.

"We need a plan…" Brock choked out, struggling to get up with the others. "I don't think he'll just throw things into the Quake Defender all day…"

"I know, but we just have to fight right now...stand fast!" Ash said through gritted teeth. As he spoke, the Green Ranger was fast approaching, letting out a war cry and preparing to dive at them again. Despite the Red Ranger's assertion, and their best efforts to put up defensive stances, the Power Rangers could barely stand on their shaky and burning legs. As the evil Ranger prepared to crush his targets with a falling side kick, the group instantly vanished in five points of light as he descended.

The Green Ranger looked to the sky as the beams of light took off and laughed at the sight. Everything was going according to his plans.

"Yes, retreat for now," he said. "The fun's just begun."

**NEXT TIME ON POWER RANGERS**

After being forced to retreat from battle with the possessed Green Ranger Hayashi, the Power Rangers start picking up the pieces of what he tore apart. While attempting to locate Zordon and bring the Command Center online, they must also head off their new enemy as he tries to find and gain control the legendary Dragon Dinozord. But Rita and her minions are more than ready to move in on Feron Grove, and the Green Ranger has his own plans for each of our heroes. Will the Power Rangers find their mentor and save an unknown friend in need as well as the world? Find out in Part II of the three-part _Evil Green Chronicles!_


End file.
